Are the gunshow sellers crazy in your area too?

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Texas Moon

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Just back from a local gunshow.
I have to say I'm in sticker shock. Not just for the prices on anything 1911, S&W, etc but also for plain old vanilla BP stuff.
Saw a fair number of re-pro C&B's scattered about but the prices these pirates want is insane.
I'm NOT making these up:
Italain brass framed '58 Remmie in about 60% condition - $300. I can get this same gun NEW from Cabela's for < $200.
NIB Uberti 1860 Army - $400. Can buy new for < $300
USED Uberti Walker about 80% - $675 :what: Can buy new for < $400
USED Uberti 3rd Dragoon about 85% - $450
The only sort of bargain I saw was a 1970/80's era re-pro 1803 US Harpers Ferry for $425 but it needed some work.

Are the gunshow pirates in your areas drinking from the same loco waterwell as mine are?

I need to drag all of mine back up there and sell them at those prices!
 
yes lol but they do sell the guns so maybe they arnt as crazy as you think ;) I know that some people buy things without researching or knowing the value of the firearm or other thigns they are purchasing. The sellers are just playing the lottery is all
 
M'be it's that other makes/models are having invfluence over what a sheep will pay for something. Remember the days of the $86 Norinco SKS FOB from China? They're going for $350-$600 in my area now. M'be buyers aren't schooled in the reasoning "why" those guns are so much more now than before... and just accept it as gospel for everything?
 
We have one at the fair grounds this week end but I passed based on what I saw at the last one, $10 parking, $10 entry fee for what I'd look for think that would take care of shipping & handling at one of the online sources.
 
It's not just the gun shows...look at the online auction sites...guys wanting full retail ( or more! ) for used Pietta or Uberti guns...etc. When I write and clue them in on what Cabelas sells them for new right now, they either say thanks and adjust their price or tell me to mind my own business! ::chuckling::
If people are dumb enough to pay those prices then they deserve to be gouged like that!

Here's a good example...go to auctionarms.com ...put this auction number in... 9742989
this guy is auctioning a Pietta 1860 Army (NIB) with bids starting at $250
Cabelas is selling the same exact one for $199.99 !!!!!!
 
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Unfortunately, "yes" they are.


Anything of the kind of Gun I am interested in, 999 times out of a thousand, it will be way over priced, overpriced and have damage or condition deficits, and, does not sell, and the 'seller' just keeps bringing it/them to show after show after show after show, and, will not come down on the price.


The ONLY times I have ever bought anything at any of the Gun Shows here, was when the Seller was an actual Human Being, or maybe a small time Dealer from out of town, there to sell off some of his Inventory or sell off some of his own Guns, and, not trying to play games, play hard-to-get, be stuck-up, or trying to be cute about it.


Takes a lot of patience, persistence, and keen looking, and the good fortune or Luck of being at the right table at the right time even, for me to find anything here at the Gun Shows we have.
 
No, the sellers aren't the ones with the problem. The buyers are the ones who are nuts.
 
It never ceases to amaze me, with the Internet at hand for so many people, that they don't research prices before they buy something. Are they just ignorant or do they have that kind of money to just throw away in this economy??
The sellers are just as bad...if they really wanted to sell their guns, they would find out the true value for them by checking what they are going for new on websites and mark theirs accordingly, depending on condition, but they seem to pull their selling prices out of the air.
None of it makes any sense to me. :banghead:
 
It makes about as much sense as buying a [new or used] car from a car dealer and paying the sticker price.
The sellers set their "asking prices" high enough so that if someone makes any kind of a reasonable offer, then the vendor just might say yes to give the impression that they're willing to sell at a discounted price to strike a deal.
Many gun show vendors have expenses that are associated with having tables at the show.
There's the cost of the tables, travel and/or hotel and food expenses. In some places there are even state tax agents that check the vendors business license and may require them to buy a one.
Some vendors will even have a sign stating to make any reasonable offer.
How many folks ask for a discount from their local gun shop and will receive a lower "out the door" or "cash price" that includes the sales tax?
At the gun shows around here some sellers have good prices, some will negotiate and others just won't, maybe because they have really nice guns or higher expenses.
 
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goon said:
No, the sellers aren't the ones with the problem. The buyers are the ones who are nuts.
Click to expand...
I have to agree with this statement. All it takes is a few uninformed buyers to pay to much and suddenly that's the going price. At my local GS's cap and ball stuff is above internet retail and there are folks who have never been on the net so they have no idea.
 
It's like any flee market. The price on the tag is an invitation for the ignorant, and a mere starting point for haggling for the more informed.

You have to go to gun show (Or any other flee market) and enjoy the art of the deal & haggling on price. I think its 50% of the fun. You even have to walk away if the price doesnt get where it needs to be. Several times, I have started on a guy, got him about half way down, walked away when he wouldnt go lower.....come back with my original price in CASH IN HAND, and willing to add to it moderately; then walk away with the gun for a reasonable price OR be willing to go home empty handed if the price isnt right. You just have to work it, and enjoy the challenge. If you hate haggling, then it's probably not for you.
 
It is a sticker price...from an individual...and thereby open to negotiation.

Every purchase I've made at gun shows has had a dialogue like this:
(using my last purchase as an example)

Dd: How much do you want for this M14 stock?

Vendor: Oh, you can't find those anymore. $75.

Dd: Hu. Well, i think it's worth about 20 - and that's what i'll give you for it, cash.

Vendor: How about 25?

Dd: Well, OK. Here ya go.


Just like dating, you have to ask the question to get an answer. If you never go across the room, you'll never get the girl. If you said "Geez, Cabelas sells those new for 200 - so i'll offer you 150" the vendor might just say, "Sure. I was hoping for a sucker, but i'd rather have 150 cash than this gun at the end of the day."
 
I keep declining my friend's offer to go to the gun show with me. 20 years ago it was free, larger, and had some real deals. I picked up a dozen used 20 round magazines for my AR-15 for $2 at various tables that I could have sold for $20 each during the ban. You were a sucker if you paid the exorbitant price of $6 for a new 30-rounder. :)

Now? It's $5, smaller, and the only deals you can make are with the individuals walking around. If I paid $5 to get in, I would end up feeling more inclined to make it worth my money by buying something at an exorbitant price to justify the entrance fee. Sort of like buying Disneyland crap at Disneyland when you can buy the same stuff for a lot less online from home.
 
What I like to do is go to a gun show the last day. This way you can usually haggle for a better price because people are trying to get their products sold. Not smart to go any days prior to the last day because I hate thinking "maybe it'll be here tomorrow" and hate feeling "Man, I should have bought that when I had the chance." So if I don't see it, I can't regret not buying it when I didn't know it was there in the first place.

as a side note: Gun show people are generally fair in my area, although there are some with outrageous prices, usually pretty fair.
 
Thats just it fellows. They WILL NOT haggle.
They'll come off the sticker a little bit but not nearly enough to make a deal.
If I see one more $350 brass frame 1970's made 51 navy I'm going to quit.

One clown had a 5 screw S&W pre-27 in about 60-70% condition.
He had that gun marked $1900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:what::what::what::what:
It's really worth about $400-500 in that poor of condition. Purely a shooter.
That guy has been carrying that same gun to the shows for 3 YEARS now.
You'd think he'd get tired of it. :scrutiny:
 
You'd think so, but some of them are pretty stubborn. My dad got his Taurus pt1911 stainless at a gun show. The original price was 750, my dad asked the guy if he'd take 625 cash, and the seller agreed....so I don't know, guess it depends on the vendor.
 
Sorta like pawn shops. Some places mark everything at "Mint" price, and wont haggle. They don't get my buisness. Other's it's all about the haggling. Some of my best deals have been from haggling with them. Always low ball it (just a bit, not $1 or something ridiculous, say 75% of what you're actually hoping to pay) to start with, tell them you'll think about there counter offer, but you've got other shops to look at. Poke around a little more, then offer up IN CASH (the important part here), about 5-10% more then your initial offer (so some where around 80-85% or what you want to pay for the item). Now is where the interpersonal ability, salesmanship skill, how bad you want it, and their bottom line come into play. The biggest thing is to figure out what your limit is and stick to it.

I've gotten more then one item at what I actually expected to pay by simply going, "sorry this is all the money I've got. If we can't make it happen then we can't make it happen." Putting my money back in my wallet and starting to turn around. No sale (especially if it's reasonable) is a whole lot worse then a sale even at a bit of loss. The trick is to have CASH, as it has immediate value, no loss for the merchant due to credit card processing, and it lets you have a physical stop for yourself to keep from going too far over your expected price (no more bills, stop letting the price go up).

Finally be willing to walk away. Some folks just want too much money for stuff. However be willing to come back, just because something else was too expensive, or last time they didn't budge today may be different.

-Jenrick
 
At least here, It seems the gun dealers at the shows are mostly local gun dealers. And they are fair.

But, as Ohio gun guy said, "It's like any flee market. The price on the tag is an invitation for the ignorant, and a mere starting point for haggling for the more informed. "

If they price it too low. They wont have any room to haggle.
 
sure.. last one I went to, the stealer had a LeMat replica on the table.. price on the box was $1,300.00 sign next to the box said "Not Negotiable" ..

I just nodded and walked on.. Done looked at one at Cabela's for 900.00
 
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